State polls: Ampangan incumbent irked at being labelled a traitor

SEREMBAN: Former PKR assemblyman Datuk Dr Mohamad Rafie Ab Malek who will be defending the Ampangan seat as an independent in the state polls has expressed sadness for being labelled a traitor.

The former state industrialisation, investment, education and entrepreneurship committee chairman said it was not fair to accuse him of being one as he only decided to defend the seat after much urging by his former constituents.

“Am I a traitor or have the people of Ampangan been betrayed when the party chose to drop me?

“I was dropped due to some political play in the party and my constituents urged me to offer myself as an independent because they know what I have done for Ampangan in one term.

“This is democracy and the constituents should be allowed to decide who they want,” he told reporters.

Mohamad Rafie said he loved the party as he was a “co-founder” and his team even paid for its launching at a hotel in 1999.

“I was a local holding the most senior position in a multinational company then but I lost my job as I was fighting the party’s cause then.

“I have sacrificed a lot for the party since then and is this how I should be remembered?,” he asked.

At the Jelajah Madani Negri Sembilan event on Tuesday night (Aug 8), PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had said it was important for Pakatan Harapan to win the Ampangan and Hulu Kelang seats as traitors need to be taught a lesson.

The Prime Minister said that was why Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidin and he would also be campaigning in Hulu Kelang to teach another traitor that those who betray their party would not be forgiven.

However, Anwar did not mention names.

Mohamad Rafie said he had messaged Anwar on WhatsApp expressing his sadness over the matter earlier on Wednesday (Aug 9) but had yet to receive a response.

He said being dropped from defending Ampangan was not the first time he had been victimised.

Mohamad Rafie said three days before the nomination exercise for the 2013 polls, he was asked to make way for another individual whom the party wanted to pick as Mentri Besar in the event they won. The individual lost the contest.

“I am a small man and I do not wish to get into a fight with the Prime Minister but I humbly request that I am not labelled as such.

“Let us be civilised and not resort to making derogatory remarks,” he said.

He claimed most people he met on the campaign trail sympathised with him as they knew he had an excellent service record and was a person of high integrity.

Mohamad Rafie, who will be using the tree as his logo, will be up against Pakatan’s Tengku Zamrah Tengku Sulaiman and Perikatan Nasional’s Muhammad Ghazali Zainal